Bonded child laborers rescued in New Delhi, India

Indian bonded child laborer Mohammad Wasim, 13, cries while riding a bus after being rescued during a raid by workers from Bachpan Bachao Andolan "Save the Childhood Movement" in New Delhi on July 11, 2012.

Photos and text by Kevin Frayer / AP

About 50,000 children are believed to be working in factories in New Delhi alone, with thousands more begging on the streets and sorting garbage. India recently passed a law aimed at fighting child labor by making education compulsory up to age 14. Grinding poverty still leads many kids to work, and certain industries that involve intricate machinery or delicate handiwork prefer their smaller hands. Read more about raids on child labor here

Indian bonded child laborer Mohammad Wasim, 13, left, sits in a vehicle after being rescued during a raid on July 11, 2012.

Indian bonded child laborer Iqrar, 11, is led away by a worker after being rescued during a raid on July 11, 2012.

An Indian bonded child laborer is checked by medical workers after being rescued in a raid on July 11, 2012.

A young Indian bonded child laborer waits to be processed after being rescued during a raid on July 11, 2012.